


Razorblade Romance

by MissCarbon



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Angst, Drama, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Lemon, Rape/Non-con Elements, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-02
Updated: 2015-10-13
Packaged: 2018-04-24 09:53:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4914955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissCarbon/pseuds/MissCarbon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z is owned by Akira Toriyama and Toei Animations.</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. Evil Remides

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Dragon Ball Z is owned by Akira Toriyama and Toei Animations.

Bulma jerked off her safety goggles and tossed them onto the cluttered work station in front of her. With a sigh of relief she leaned back in the hard, metal chair relaxing for the first time in hours.

"Finally done with those damn things," she grumbled quietly to herself as she ran a hand through her hair. Although she despised doing anything for that worthless monkey, Bulma was quite satisfied with the work she had completed for him. For the majority of the past month she'd been mostly confined to the small workrooms down in Capsule Corporation; repairing the small, rounded bots more times than she could count. And her being the smart, beautiful genius that she was, it hadn't been a problem when the big-headed Saiyan had waltzed into her office littering it with debris, yetagain, from the bots he had obliterated. Not to mention how he demanded she fix them immediately! As if. Bulma practically scoffed out loud as she recalled each and every derogatory name he had called her when she had refused to work on them at that very moment. No man could boss her around like she was some sort of slave! But alas, it was a reoccurring theme with the two. He would easily destroy the levitating bots and then Bulma would sweep in to save the day. She was getting tiresome of their routine, as well as his ungrateful attitude towards her, so she had devised a plan to spice it up a notch. A sinister smile crept upon her face as she thought about the small computer chips she had configured and implanted inside each bot. With her brilliant mind she had reworked their circuitry. Not only could they withstand a powerful blast, the small machines could also absorb energy then, and this was her favorite part, they quickly could sent the blast black… without warning! The prick needed a dose of his own medicine and she was intending on giving it to him the only way she knew how. Bulma bit down hard on her bottom lip trying to contain the raging laughter that wanted to escape. She felt like an evil genius; full of excitement and wanting to see her plan in action. She turned slowly in the chair, facing away from her wicked tactics and towards the open door.

"Daaady…" she called out slowly in her sweetest voice. He was her perfect sidekick. An evil mastermind always had a sidekick, right? Bulma needed a crony to run and tell their guest her work was finally complete because she sure as hell wasn't.

His husky, disembodied voice drifted through the open door, "Yes, dear?"

Bulma stared out the door and over at the large spaceship that took up most of the main workroom floor. It was beat and broken; red paint peeling on its smashed rudders, a large dent on the left side. The ship was beyond repair, at least in her eyes. She would have definitely refused to work on it. But yet here her father was fixing it up. Mending old ships was her father's favorite past-time. Even though he was on the later side of sixty his age didn't stop him from being one of the best spacecraft repairmen around West City. He swears that if he hadn't invented the Capsules he still could have made his fortune as a repairman.

"Where are you?" Bulma questioned, rising from the hard seat. She exited the small workroom and walked stiffly out toward the ship. She placed a hand on its side using it to balance herself as she stretched and yawned.

"Up here dear."

As Bulma took a few steps back to look up she witnessed her father climbing up and out of the ship's hatch. Much to her alarm, he was stationed up on top of the 80 foot vessel; the roof looking very unstable from where she stood, noticing it bend slightly as her father walked on it. He stood looking down at her with an unlit torch in his left hand and a raised face shield on top of his head.

"Kami, Dad! Get down from there!" she yelped, quickly scrambling around the large room looking for a ladder or any type of apparatus to help him down. How could he think to be up there alone? Especially with no one in particular around the work room to help if he were to get into an accident. While in her haste she was suddenly stopped in her tracks by laughter... her father's laughter. Bulma felt her cheeks flush brightly as she hated when anyone outright laughed at her expense. Turning slowly she glared up at him.

"What?" he questioned, wiping a tear from his eye and attempting to get his chuckles in check. "Oh gosh, I'm fine honey. See." Dr. Briefs used the tip end of the torch and tapped at the large boots he was wearing. "They're the same type of gravity boots I made for Goku when he was on his trip to that planet Namek." As Bulma attempted to sustain her death scowl, her father pushed his glasses higher up on the bridge of his nose and continued on. "They have reinforced magnets on the bottom to hold me onto the ship, remember? Stop worrying about me, what is it that you need?"

In an attempt to calm down, Bulma ran a hand down her flushed face and blew out a puff of air. "Well," she began after a moment, pausing only to contain the resentment in her voice. "I need you to go tell our guest that I finished my work on the bots." She hated speaking of the alien as if he were an actual friend staying at their home. He definitely wasn't a guest of hers. She was only doing this favor for Goku. The guy needed a place to stay and Capsule Corporation was the obvious choice. And at first Bulma was all for it. Helping out someone who was going to be protecting the planet she lived on was something Bulma couldn't turn down. Her friends needed all the help they could get. But as the days began slowly turning into weeks she had grown less fond of her once generous offer. The man was an animal, with no sense of respect for anyone or anything! So, as any civilized woman would do, she decided not to speak to him.

"Of course I will, dear," he said cheerfully, the smile causing the crow's feet to deepen in his aging face. "But not at the moment though. Let me finish repairing this side of the ship." He patted the opened dome-shaped window like it were a small child. "This baby took a nasty hit. Must have traveled through a really dense field of asteroids to put a dent in this puppy. You know," he began as he stroked his white mustache with his free hand, "this ship was actually one of the first models I made completely out of that cobalt extract I'd been developing over the years. Don't you remember it, honey? That material that turned a dark green color when it was heated up? Well, apparently I need to reinforce the inhibitors of the-"

"DAD!" Bulma shouted, attempting to pull her father down off his soap box, knowing that he could go on and on about what needed to be fixed and what was broken. She grit her teeth. If he didn't go now to tell him, how else would her evil plan roll into action? She couldn't wait until later! "Go now. He's been waiting all afternoon."

"And he'll have to wait longer," her father stated matter-of-factly. "I'm not leaving this room until I've reapplied the injector box in the control panel and reinforced the left fender."

"Please dad," Bulma begged, clasping her hands together in desperation.

"Why don't you ask your mother? I'm sure she'd be more than happy to relay the message." How could she have been so dense? Of course she could ask her mother. That woman had a fond attraction toward that man. Well… monster was more like it. Without another word her father lowered the face shield and lit the torch, picking right up without a hitch; sparks immediately flying.

Bulma sauntered slowly back inside the small room that she had spent hours in. It was littered with empty candy bar wrappers and soda bottles, crumpled up pieces of paper that were filled with useless calculations, hundreds of tools and other useless junk; but settled in the center of it all were her prides and joys. The bots. Although they were meant for the villain, Bulma couldn't help but admire their own unique beauty. She had given each of them a nice polish and now they sat upon the clutter shining in all their wonderful glory. They were a means to get payback and by Kami she was getting her sweet payback. Someone had to teach that man a lesson and it looked like it had to be her. She had pulled the trump card. After Bulma sent out a call report for the room to be cleaned she retreated upstairs, conveyed the message to her mother, and finally made her way up to her bedroom. A nice and long warm bubble bath was definitely calling her name tonight.

XxX

Sweat beads rolled down the sides of his face and into his dark eyes, burning them with every blink. Vegeta had been in the Gravity Room for only an hour when the bots were easily destroyed by his atomic blast. He snarled as he thought back to the moment they practically disintegrated into thin air. Cheap human technologies. They were no match against the devices he had come into contact with throughout his travels. Way more advanced devices had graced his presence than what the blue haired woman produced from her laboratory. He spat onto the floor, coming to terms with the hand he was dealt. Here he was, a prince! And not just any prince, prince of the all mighty Saiyan warriors. A prince wasn't supposed to be helping enemies protect a worthless mud ball planet. They were supposed to be cowering, sniveling beings who groveled at his feet. They should be serving him. Fighting for him and laying their lives down on the line, not the other way around. But yet here he was. Vegeta detested himself. How could he have succumbed to this? This was not him. He didn't help anyone. Especially ones he had attempted to kill in the past. Vegeta was a failure. He'd had a direct objective in mind and it hadn't conclude the way he had planned. And not only was he outsmarted by some pesky humans, his pride had taken a major hit below the belt once he found out Kakarot had ascended into the legendary Super Saiyan on Namek.

"Dammit!" He slammed his fist into the floor, cracking the salt-and-pepper tile. Shame coated his body as thick as sweat. How could a lower class Saiyan like Kakarot ascend before him? He hadn't lived a tough life. Unlike what Vegeta had endured, Kakarot had had it easy. He hadn't trained in the grueling conditions of vast planets out in the far reaches of space; while under Frieza, no less. He hadn't combated with a thousand different species or wiped an entire planet clean with a single blow. No! He wasn't the prince of all Saiyans. He didn't have royal blood flowing through his veins. Kakarot was just about as useless as a human. But yet he'd made it… He had morphed into the ultimate legend of his people. A Super Saiyan. For a quick second Vegeta scanned the area with his senses then quickly recoiled once he found what he'd been looking for. The three beings were north of the city. Each of their power levels significantly higher than what they had been on Namek. Vegeta cursed himself for being so stupid. The anger that he had been holding inside began boiling out, shaking the chamber as he tried to control himself. He knew better than to reach out and check up on his enemies. Kakarot was getting stronger with each passing day and Vegeta hated every minute of it. He wished Kakarot into the deepest, darkest pits of Hell.

"Hello. Excuse me."

Vegeta jerked his head quickly towards the entrance. He hadn't sensed anyone walking close to his confinements. The loathing he felt toward himself greatly intensified. This was not him. He wasn't usually so self-indulged with his thoughts. It was this planet, it had to be. That had to be the cause of his irrational thoughts. Maybe it was the oxygen he was breathing or the food he was eating; though he had to admit the food on this planet was significantly better than what he was used to. He had to get away from here before this planet consumed him. Vegeta owed it nothing. So what if these alleged androids were coming three years from now? He should return to space to enjoy the fireworks as the androids destroy the earth for him. But no, he couldn't do that. His ego wouldn't let him. If anyone was going to kill Kakarot and destroy this planet it was going to be him. Vegeta would be the one to have Kakarot's lifeblood trailing down his fingertips as he begged and pleaded for his last breaths.

"Ah, hellooo, Vegeta?"

"WHAT?" he yelled towards the door. The pull gravity began to lighten as his darkened energy threatened to collapse the interior of the room. The woman outside shrieked as the chamber gave a deep, creaking moan, its structure threatening to snap. Vegeta clamped his jaw shut and blew out a puff of air through his nose. The hatred that pumped inside of him was clouding his judgment. Undeniably he knew his thoughts were too consumed by Kakarot; how else could she have snuck up on him without his knowledge? He needed to get a grip. Finally taking a few moments to calm down, Vegeta pushed himself up from the prone position he'd been in. He powered down the chamber and exited. As the door of the chamber slid open he was greeted by the small blonde woman who stood at the end of the ramp, smiling brightly.

"There you are dear," she said, clasping her hands together and chuckling. Never cutting his eyes in her direction Vegeta made his way past her and walked onto the small deck that extended from the back side of the house. He heard the woman trailing behind him. As he reached the opened sliding glass doors she spoke again, the information she relayed stilling his steps.

"I was going to tell you that the bots were finished and Bulma said you could find them down in the lab. But mainly…" She walked quickly around, light on her feet, and stopped right in front of him. She stared up at his hardened features, her bright blue eyes never showing any fear. "Are you hungry?"

Vegeta gave the woman a sneer, he didn't like the way she was looking at him. Hell, he never liked it when she did, which was often. It always made him uncomfortable. He wanted nothing more than to retrieve those bots from the lab and be rid of her but at the mention of food his stomach had protested otherwise. It gave off a loud, noticeable growl. She giggled, turning his sneer into a deep, threatening glare. He had hoped to wipe the smile from her face with his own terrifying scowl but his attempt had failed. The woman's smile grew brighter turning her small chuckles into laughter.

"C'mon Vegeta I have something almost ready to come out of the oven. I was making it especially for you already!" The woman turned on a dime and strolled into the massive kitchen, Vegeta following slowly behind. She walked around the large island and over to the warm oven, looking inside. Grabbing a towel she opened the oven and pulled out a large steaming glass plate. The aroma of food instantly hit his nostrils; making Vegeta realize how hungry he actually was at the moment. He almost couldn't restrain himself from grabbing the large plate she had brought over to the table and devour it face first. But holding himself to a higher standard, Vegeta held his ground until the woman scooped a large helping onto a smaller plate and slid it over to him.

"Here you go, sir."

Vegeta smirked at her words. It was about time somebody took some recognition for his royal lineage and treated him with respect. He slowly picked up the fork, deciding the bots could wait just a little while longer. It was about time he replenished his energy anyways.

XxX

The bubbles that had once filled the oval tub had all but disappeared. Most of her body was now visible through the warm, clear water. She had her hair pulled up into a messy bun and small strands that had fallen out were damp, sticking to her neck. Bulma had her eyes closed as she leaned against the back of the tub. The bath had been a great idea. She had soaked in the water for longer than she had anticipated but it had allowed her muscles to fully unwind. Now after a good thirty minutes she resembled a shriveled prune more than a human being. It was time to get out. Bulma leaned up and flipped the switch on the tub releasing the drain plug. Humming to herself she crawled out and before grabbing a towel, Bulma leaned over the counter and wiped away the condensation. She checked herself out, giving her reflection a satisfied wink and nod. Still got it! Even on the early side of thirty she looked more like a twenty year old. Thank Kami she took after her mother. Feeling smug with herself she grabbed the towel and began to run it over her body as she exited the chilly bathroom. Once dry, she dressed in her pajamas and then slipped outside onto the balcony for her secret pleasure: a smoke. It was something she kept from the people closest to her. Well… attempted to keep from them. She was sure her mother had smelled the scent on her before, but if so she never said a word. Lifting a single cigarette to her mouth she lit it and inhaled its smoky goodness. Holding the smoke inside her lungs for a few seconds she exhaled slowly and instantly relaxed against the railing. The sun had just dipped behind the large mountain range that ran a few miles south of West City, blanketing the world around her in darkness. Warm winds blew softly through her damp, tangled hair. It felt good being outside at this time of night, free of work. Usually she was bombarded with work up to her elbows. If not that, Yamcha was usually wanting her to go out with him and his buddies from the baseball team. Oh, Yamcha... She took another puff off the cigarette realizing she hadn't thought of him all day. Bulma frowned, feeling guilty. He was her boyfriend after all. He should be at the forefront of her mind instead of something she kept hidden in a pocket, only bringing him out whenever she wasn't busy.

"Blame Goku," she said out loud to herself. It wasn't her idea to have him stay here. And it wasn't her fault the bots weren't holding up against his attacks either. Bulma had been stuck down in the lab and had hardly seen the light of day in weeks while she repaired the bots, attempting to come up with something different to stand up against his assault; though a small part of her had actually enjoyed the time she had by herself. She enjoyed working her fingers to the bone. Tweaking the bots to do this or that. Churning the gears in her mind, coming up with new ideas. She enjoyed getting grease in her hair and dirt under her nails. Sometimes Bulma preferred sweats and messy hair over make-up, short skirts, or high heels. But ever since Yamcha had been drafted onto the Tiatans baseball team he was all formal attire and group outings and so was she; as she was a permanent fixture upon his arm. He wasn't the rugged young man she used to know. He'd changed. He still was the loving Yamcha she knew, always surprising her with expensive gifts or taking her out to eat at her favorite restaurants, but there was something missing from him now and Bulma couldn't quite put her finger on it. Was the love she once felt for him dying? She quickly shook her head, banishing the thoughts from her mind. She didn't want to think about anything like that and took another long drag from the cigarette.

Bulma desperately needed rest. Her mind was slowly slipping and she needed a recharge; but she couldn't have her sweet, peaceful rest that she so longed for just yet. Goku would soon be at her home to pick up an enhanced medical kit her father had developed years ago. Bulma had been able to tweak it slightly where the pack could easily heal a ki blast wound or any of the type. Sighing, Bulma tossed away the cigarette in the small bucket she had placed in the corner of her balcony and just when she was about to slip back into her room a loud engine roared to life behind her. She turned to see the lights of the gravity room illuminating the entire back yard. The door to the chamber slid open and Bulma caught sight of her shining bots slung over Vegeta's shoulder in a mesh bag she had left for him. She stood transfixed, watching his muscles flex as he headed up the ramp. Bulma couldn't deny that her mother was right, though she would never admit it out loud: he was a fine piece of man. But even though he was pleasant to look at it didn't excuse his behavior and she still wasn't going to talk to him. Bulma despised to confess it but a small, tiny, insignificant part of her enjoyed watching the veins swell in his neck when he would get angry and yell at her.

And as if the man knew exactly what had just crossed her mind, he quickly turned and stared straight up at her; a frown on his face, eyebrows furrowed. Full blown embarrassment coated Bulma. She quickly backed up and blindly reached for the doorknob, their eyes never unlocking. Finally, after a moment of searching her hand found what she'd been searching for and retreated inside her dark bedroom, slamming the balcony door shut behind her. She buried her face in her hands, praying to Kami above he hadn't noticed her beet red features.

XxX

"Stupid woman," Vegeta murmured to himself as the door of the Gravity Chamber shut behind him. He reached down and began gently pulling the gleaming, black bots from the bag he had found lying around in the messy workroom. Not wanting to waste any time with warm ups Vegeta decided to skip those and head straight for the control panel. He turned the knob to the desired level, one he was quite used to, and hit the power button. The room instantly turned a deep crimson and Vegeta braced himself. Once the gravity began to take hold of his body the small bots sparked to life and lifted up into the air, rotating quietly above his head. Vegeta closed his eyes to center himself. After a moment of collecting a large amount of ki, he reopened his eyes and quickly shot the blast up toward the bots. He was quite surprised when they held up, but his surprise was short lived when they began tossing the ball of energy between each other as if they were playing catch. His brow arched, curious as to what they were doing. Within seconds a conclusion quickly came to mind: the woman had fucked them up. This wasn't normal behavior for the bots. A screw was loose somewhere. She hadn't tightened the bolts just right. He took one step towards the control panel to shut off the gravity but was instantly stopped in his tracks by an agonizing pain in his side. The pain swiftly ran through his body at an alarming rate. It felt like molten lava flowing in is veins. Vegeta fell quickly to the floor before he realized exactly what had happened.

As he shouted out in pain blood splattered on the floor; blood feeling like acid on his tongue. His hands quickly pressed against his slick slide where the blast had come into contact. Blood was already pouring from the wound and pooling around his body. That damned woman had tweaked with the bots. They had bounced his ki blast back, hitting him clearly in the side. Pure rage and adrenaline began to take over his body. He had been caught by surprise by a fucking human… A woman of all beings! Vegeta was seeing red. He knew it wasn't a mortal wound and once he was able to stand again he vowed to let that woman have it and he didn't care if he killed her or not.


	2. Chapter 2

Ah, Wuthering Heights. Bulma loved everything about the book. The twisted love triangle. The backstabbing and conniving. The forbidden love. It was a personal favorite read and the proof was in its ruined spine and permanently flappy, dog-eared pages. Bulma had retreated down to the living room to read while she waited on Goku to arrive for the medical kit; stopping only to make herself a cup of coffee; Jamaican Blue Mountain, of course. She was curled up on the couch snuggled underneath a warm, velvet blanket with the old book set upon her lap, sipping her coffee happily as a soft breeze blew gently through the opened French doors that led out onto the back porch. It was turning out to be a nice, quiet evening and she was enjoying it immensely. It had been quite a while since she had savored time alone with a book without interruption. Her mother wasn't around breathing down her neck and her father wasn't around to add additional commentary about work down in the labs; which he tended to do… often. Yamcha wasn't bombarding her phone constantly either. Though, perhaps that was because she hadn't bothered to let him know she had finished with work in the first place. Bulma immediately felt guilty. Why hadn't she touched base with him? Did a part of her not want his company? His calls? Texts…? Did she truly just want to be alone? Bulma shook her head dismissing the troubling thoughts, not wanting to dwell on them any longer and continued reading on. And after a while it worked. Thoughts of her somewhat distraught love life filtered out of her mind and were replaced with images of Catherine's wild passion for Heathcliff as the two snuck around together right under Edgar's nose. Bulma became so engrossed with her book she didn't hear when the hum of the Gravity Chamber shut off. Her eyes never left the tattered pages so she didn't even notice when danger stood menacingly on the back porch, staring at her through the opened double doors, until it was too late and he was on her.

In the blink of an eye Vegeta crossed the living room floor. His thick hand wrapped around her slender neck, holding it tenderly as he leaned forward, pinning her back against the couch. Vegeta's penetrating stare was captivating and Bulma's heart began to beat erratically within her chest. She was transfixed and unable to look away from his intense dark stare. He smirked and bent his head down towards hers, his warm breath brushing lightly against her flushed cheeks. She swallowed and blinked slowly, slightly frightened and sorely thrilled all at the same time. But it was short lived when she finally noticed the blood. Oh my Kami, the blood. How hadn't she spotted it before? Thick, drying scarlet blood coated most of Vegeta's left arm and bare chest. She watched with fright as some dripped down onto the blanket, staining it with his lifeblood. Bulma screamed but it was cut short when he began to squeeze, quickly cutting off her air supply. She gasped and reached up, attempting to pull his large fingers away from her throat before he crushed it but it was to no avail; Vegeta's hand was like a vice around her neck.

"DID YOU THINK THAT WAS GOING TO BE FUNNY, WOMAN?" Vegeta yelled, spitting upon her face as he did so. Bulma then caught sight of a large and bloodied gash on his left side but her gaze was ripped from there when he shook her. Trembling in his grasp Bulma whimpered and tears began to blur her vision as she stared back up at the man who was slowly suffocating her. With his free hand, Vegeta pulled the blanket out from around her and threw it behind him. He then slowly lifted her up off the couch. His grip tightened again as he held her above him, her feet dangling precariously above the ground. Bulma attempted to scream again but as the last burst of air expelled from her lungs causing them to constrict tightly inside her chest, an ache began to burn within. She began kicking at him frantically hoping to, at the very least, release his grip slightly, but the monster only chuckled viciously through his clenched teeth. Vegeta held a sadistic look in his eye and a smirk was still plastered upon his lips. He was enjoying himself and he wasn't even trying to hide it. Oh Kami in heaven above. Please spare me.

"I bet you don't think it's so funny now, do you?" Vegeta spoke softly, his rough voice able to pierce through the fog that begin to cloud her mind. She opened her mouth in an attempt to speak but the burn in her throat and the fuzziness within her mind wouldn't allow it. She was beginning to lose it. Comprehensive thought was becoming a harder task to complete as her mind became jumbled. "Oh? What's that? Squeeze tighter? Ha! Well, if you insist."

And he did; his hold way stronger than before. After a few last desperate attempts to kick him off of her, Bulma gave up. Her strength depleting the longer he held her airway closed. It was no use. She wasn't even bothering him as he still held her firmly, his grip never wavering. Her hands fell from around his wrist and hung limply at her sides as her eyes slowly slid shut; each blink becoming dimmer and dimmer. This is it, she thought. This is how I die.

The next thing she knew, Bulma was lying against the cool hardwood floor staring at Vegeta's filthy shoes. She gasped, coughing as her lungs took in the precious air of life. Oh wonderful, beautiful oxygen!Her throat was on fire and each cough felt as though a razor were cutting deep gashes within. But she was alive! That was the only rational thought her mind could cling to. Feeling the tears coming in full force, Bulma curled up into a ball at his feet, hugging her knees to her chest, needing desperately to hold onto something solid.

XxX

"What do you have to say for yourself you pathetic excuse for a human?" The answer Vegeta received was not one he had hoped for. A loud sob escaped the cowering woman as she began to cry noisily on the floor. "Shut up," he said flatly. Vegeta held out his hand collecting a small amount of energy within. It was time to end this once and for all. He didn't have to put up with her or her family. Or anyone else on this planet for that matter. Vegeta could train on his own. He didn't need this useless woman in front of him. He could train and grow stronger the old fashioned way. The way his father had taught him before he had been sent away to Frieza. He didn't need her or her father's cheaply made technologies. Kakarot surely hadn't needed them. As that thought crossed his mind, Vegeta stopped himself and bristled. He hated to even think about it. He closed his eyes and shook the painful memories out of his head and turned his attention back to the sobbing woman in front of him who was about to be no more. Her fate was sealed. Had been when the blast had hit his side. She had taken a cheap shot against him and she needed to be taught a lesson. He would enjoy seeing the light disappear from within her bright blue eyes. He had wasted so much time on her and for what? All she seemed to bring him were machines that could never hold up against his blasts. Yeah, when the bots actually did work and did their job properly he had seen an improvement in himself but that was beside the point. The ball of energy he held in his hand now was enough to do the trick. He could end her in a second. It was just enough to mangle her small body but not too harsh as to destroy the entire side of the house. He smiled. Yes, he was definitely going to enjoy this.

"Vegeta, what are you doing?" a voice called from behind.

Snarling, Vegeta jumped and quickly turned facing the new intruder; the ball of ki in his hand growing exponentially larger. His blood boiled at the sight before him. It was none other than Kakarot. Vegeta spat upon the floor; he was done with people sneaking up on him for the day. The lower class Saiyan stood within the doorway, standing there looking like a God in all his glory as the lights from the Gravity Chamber shone around his darkened silhouette. Vegeta's brow furrowed and he looked back down at the woman by his feet who had instantly stopped whimpering as soon his enemy had spoken. He watched as she quickly sat up, crawled away from his side and over to Kakarot who in turn bent down to examine her. He lifted up her chin slowly and she winced, her brow knitting together tightly as he accessed the damage. Let him. What was Kakarot going to do? Teach him a lesson? Though as much as he hated the fact that his number one enemy was now standing before him, Vegeta was more curious as to why he was here? Had the bitch silently contacted him somehow? Vegeta stared down hard at the injured woman. She had tricked him and deserved everything she had gotten. He was only sorry that he hadn't been able to finish what he had started. Vegeta dispersed the ki that surrounded his hand and balled his hands into fists at his sides, attempting to control his anger. Her neck was already turning a black and blue color and he watched as Kakarot let go of her chin, shaking his head.

"How could you do this to her, Vegeta?" Kakarot questioned. He then patted the woman on the shoulder, giving her a small smile and nod before he stood, finally giving Vegeta his full attention. Vegeta went into defense mode. How dare Kakarot question his actions? Kakarot was beneath him. He was a prince for crying out loud. Did anyone know how to treat him with respect nowadays? Kakarot should never question the prince of all Saiyans! Vegeta's mind churned as his anger grew within.

"You see this?" Vegeta yelled, pointing to the bloody gash in his side. "This fucking woman did this to me! ME!" The veins in his throat threatened to pop as he shouted at the top of his lungs. Vegeta felt cornered, his anger, along with his blood pressure, rising to the breaking point. Vegeta clenched his fists tighter, his nails digging into the skin of his palm, drawing blood.

"Now how did she do such a thing?" Kakarot asked gently, placing his hands upon his hips. Vegeta could tell Kakarot held back a sneer and that was when he finally snapped. The room began to shake like the Gravity Chamber had before. Pictures trembled upon the walls while the floor beneath their feet began to buckle, some boards popping out of place. Vegeta was about to take a step forward when a sharp pain shot through his wound and straight up his spine, stopping him and reminding him quickly of the state he was actually in. Reality set in and after a moment the room around them finally quieted. Vegeta was ashamed. How could he have let this lower class Saiyan get to him so easily? Kakarot was like the dirt on the bottom of his boot. Vegeta had better control over himself and he knew better than to try and pick a fight when he was in this sort of condition.

"How about we just all calm down and take a breather, huh?" Kakarot smiled, speaking calmly with his hands raised up in front of him as if he were surrendering. "I doubt Bulma could have done that to you."

Vegeta said nothing. He didn't need to explain himself to Kakarot, a lower-class warrior. Vegeta straightened up and crossed his arms over his chest. He pulled his gaze from Kakarot and turned to look out the window. The moon was shining brightly down upon him and he basked in its white grandeur for a moment reminiscing the time when he still had his tail and all the glorious destruction that came with it. That was something else this filthy mud-ball of a planet had taken from him. Vegeta clenched his jaw as memories of when his tail had been stripped away from his body clouded his mind.

"Bulma has invited you into her home. Has fed you. Clothed you and gave you a place to sleep at night. Much less all the training gear anyone could ever hope for! She's given this to you to help you become stronger. We're all here to help each other out." Kakarot closed the gap between them then put his hand down upon Vegeta's shoulder, giving it a slight squeeze.

"I don't need your sympathy Kakarot." Vegeta brushed off his hand, never once taking his eyes off of the brilliant moon. "I did what I had to do."

"I'm not giving you my sympathy. I'm trying to help you Vegeta. Can't you see? We're all trying to help you. No one is your enemy here. No one is out to get you. We're all here for each other. The androids that are coming in three years, yeah, those are the ones you need to be worrying about. So, don't take it out on Bulma." He gestured toward the woman on the floor who was still sniffing loudly behind them. "She's here to help you, not hurt you."

"Hn." Hearing enough vomit spill from Kakarot's mouth, Vegeta turned and walked away from the younger Saiyan. He didn't want to be around Kakarot anymore. Vegeta wasn't in the mood to hear a life lesson about morals. Who was Kakarot? His mother? Growing up on earth had been the worst thing that could have happened to him and Vegeta slightly pitied him for it. Living around these beings had made him weak and venerable, stripping him of his true savage Saiyan heritage. Vegeta held back a yawn that threatened to escape as he turned the corner and exited the living room leaving the younger warrior behind to deal with the sniveling woman. His sleeping quarters were calling his name. And after he obtained a hot shower, dressed his wound appropriately, and then rested up, he would begin again tomorrow. Especially now since he officially knew about the new quirk she had applied to the bots. He would train all day and into the night if they held up. This wound he received had been a blessing in disguise. Vegeta really hadn't properly slept in a few days and it was now time.

XxX

Goku stood watching Vegeta's back as he left the living room. He wiped sweat off his brow, thanking Kami above he had gotten here when he had, otherwise… Goku shuddered to think about it.Oh Vegeta, when will you ever learn? Hearing soft whimpers over his shoulder, Goku turned around looking over at Bulma. Sadness coated his body like a thick sweat. How ever would these two get along? Especially after this. Blowing out a puff of air, Goku walked back over to Bulma and bent down. He placed one hand on her shoulder and the other lifted her chin so she'd look at him in the eyes. Tears still fell silently down her puffy, red face and he wiped them away.

"You okay?" he questioned softly. She only nodded. "Can you talk at all?"

Bulma sat up a little straighter and Goku watched as she swallowed hard before speaking. "A… little…"

"Here, let me help you to your room, okay?" He gave his friend a sweet smile that hopefully portrayed his sorrow for what had taken place here tonight. Goku scooped Bulma carefully up into his arms and retreated the same way Vegeta had. Goku had known Bulma for as long as he could remember. She was practically his oldest friend and one he held dear to his heart. She was shaking and still held a hand clasped around her soft, bruising neck. How dare Vegeta treat her this way? And after everything everyone's been through together? Goku's brows furrowed in concentration as he took the stairs two at a time with his friend in tow. Once he reached the closed door of her bedroom Goku set Bulma down gently.

"Thank you, Goku," Bulma whispered placing a hand on the side of his face. Her bright blue eyes held a sadness Goku almost couldn't handle. His throat closed up slightly and his sinus' began to sting. He smiled, attempting not to let his emotions show through. The last thing Bulma needed was for someone like him to break down in front of her. Goku swallowed the dry lump in his throat, unable to speak at the moment. "Oh, that medical kit…"

"It's okay. I saw it downstairs. I'll pick it up on my way out," he said a little too quickly.

There was a pause and Bulma stared down at her feet, fidgeting slightly. "Look Goku," she started, finally looking up and staring into his concerned eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean for that to happen."

Goku was flabbergasted. "Bulma, are you serious?" He almost chuckled but quickly thought better of it when large tears began to well up in the corners of her eyes again. "Hey… Bulma… don't. It's not your fault," he said gently. Goku reached for her and wrapped his arms around his friend. She sighed heavily once in his arms and relaxed against him as she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist. Goku almost lost it when she began to cry. He stared up at the ceiling, his chin resting upon the top of her head, willing is own tears not to spill from his very own eyes. He let her cry against him and he soon lost track of the time. But after a while her sobs quieted and Goku placed his hands upon her shoulders, kissing the crown of her head.

"Listen…" he began, unsure of how to continue. "Don't… Don't hold a grudge against him for what happened tonight."

Bulma instantly froze under his touch. She took a step back and stared up at him. "What…?"

"Just, um…" He ran a hand through his hair and leaned back on the heels of his feet, attempting a light chuckle. "Just don't let him really get to you, okay? There's, and I know no one really believes me, but there is a real person underneath that hard exterior of his. We all just have to try and find it." Bulma took another step back and placed a hand on the doorknob of her bedroom door. He spoke quickly, "You didn't see the side of him before his life was taken from him by the hands of Frieza. You didn't see the actual tears that man cried. You didn't see the human emotion that flowed from his hard eyes. I did, Bulma," he pleaded. "I did. And a man who supposedly has a cold heart and doesn't care what happens with the world around him cannot shed real tears like he did. I know there's a good person inside. I just hope you, and everyone else, can see what I saw in him that day."

Bulma attempted a small smile. "I hope so too." She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "Goodnight, Goku. Thank you for everything tonight."

She retreated inside her bedroom and shut the door behind her, leaving Goku standing alone inside the dark hallway. He sighed heavily and hung his head. You of all people need to see that side of him. Thinking back to when Goku first learned about the destruction the androids were going to cause, the boy from the future had also told him to try an attempt to keep the peace between Bulma and Vegeta. Goku had promised the kid that much but already it seemed like it was going to be way easier said than done.


End file.
